WHAT PIRBRIGHT IS DOING
Livestock vaccines
Scientists are developing several different vaccines that
will protect livestock from zoonoses, and so help prevent
these animals from transmitting the viruses to humans.
We are collaborating internationally
to produce an inexpensive,
safe and effective vaccine to
protect pigs against Nipah.
To combat CCHF, researchers
are conducting a series of
field studies to test whether
a vaccine developed by
Public Health England prevents
infection in sheep, to get a
better understanding of the disease dynamics and
get reliable estimates of the virus prevalence in the
unvaccinated population to inform the vaccine trial.
Scientists are also developing a new universal vaccine to
protect against all strains of influenza virus. This is extremely
challenging due to the number of strains of flu virus
circulating and the emergence of new strains. Currently we
are testing an S-FLU aerosol vaccine, developed by Alain
Townsend at Oxford. The pig immune and respiratory
systems are very similar to humans so may provide a
better model for infection and vaccination studies.
Vector control
Mosquitoes carry and transmit many deadly diseases
that result in millions of deaths.
We are studying the ability of European mosquitoes
to transmit RVF virus as well as understanding how
susceptible European livestock breeds are to the disease.
This will reveal how big a threat RVF poses in Europe and
enable us to predict how an outbreak may spread.
We are also exploring ways in which genetically modified
(GM) mosquitoes could be used to control populations
and help prevent the spread of zoonoses. Modifying
male Aedes mosquitoes to produce sterile offspring
enables targeted suppression of the population. These
methods could be employed to tackle a variety of
insect borne diseases such as RVF, Zika and malaria.
We use the latest GM techniques for controlling
mosquito-spread diseases, including CRISPR/Cas9 and
gene drives that only control populations locally.
ZOONOTIC DISEASES
Viruses that spread from animals to people
Aedes aegypti female feeding
Predicting new threats
Predicting where the next virus will emerge from, or how an
existing virus might mutate to transmit between animals or
humans more efficiently, is a crucial part of disease control.
Pirbright scientists use complex mathematical modelling
incorporating data from the Met Office to investigate how
weather patterns influence the movement and transmission
of diseases. This provides valuable insight into how some
airborne diseases may interact with the atmosphere
and the movement of vectors that transmit disease.
The role of climate change
Rising temperatures across Europe are
one of the driving forces that allows diseases
to travel further north from southern Europe
and Africa. The insect vectors that carry
these diseases are then able to survive
at higher latitudes for longer, increasing
their ability to spread disease.
Hyalomma ticks, the vector for CCHF, are
highly adapted to warm and dry conditions
and if these conditions become more widespread
populations of these ticks are likely to become established,
bringing with them the risk of CCHF to humans.
UK ticks are unable to transmit CCHF to humans,
but a changing climate could increase the risk of
Hyalomma ticks moving and living further north.
Migratory birds and horses can transport the tick into
new areas and by 2080 the conditions may be warm
enough for them to survive in the UK.
www.pirbright.ac.uk/zoonoses Preventing and controlling viral disease
ZOONOTIC DISEASES – KEY FACTS
Zoonotic diseases are infections
caused by viruses, bacteria and
parasites that spread between animals
and people. They can make people
and animals very sick, and can be
fatal. Pirbright scientists study viral
zoonotic diseases to try and find
ways to stop them spreading.
WHAT ARE VIRAL ZOONOSES?
Zoonoses affect a wide range of species and have
a huge impact on animal and human health, as
well as food and economic security. At Pirbright
we study viral zoonoses, the insects that spread
these diseases (known as vectors) and we develop
vaccines to control them.
Some zoonoses have re-emerged to cause epidemics
resulting in widespread suffering and global concern.
Most recent examples include the 2013 outbreak of
Ebola virus disease which spread throughout West
Africa until it was successfully controlled in 2016 –
over 11,000 people died as a result. Ebola has since
re-emerged in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Another zoonosis which is transmitted by infected
mosquitoes (Aedes) is Zika virus which, although causes
only mild symptoms in the majority of people, can cause
microcephaly in foetuses and result in Guillain-Barré
syndrome, neuropathy and myelitis in children and adults.
Rift Valley fever,
Nipah, severe
acute respiratory
syndrome (SARS),
and avian and
swine influenza
viruses are also
examples of viral
zoonoses that
have either caused
or have the potential
to cause serious global
pandemics and they Scanning electron micrograph of
continue to pose Ebola virus Makona (in red) from the
West African epidemic shown on the
a threat. surface of Vero cells (blue).
Credit: NIAID
Scientists estimate that 6 out of 10 human Viral zoonoses are spread directly
infectious diseases come from animals, through contact with saliva,
and 3 out of 4 new infectious diseases blood, urine or other bodily fluids
are spread from animals to people. With of an infected animal, by airborne
increased global movement of people means (influenza) or indirectly
and animals and human activity close to (vector borne) via bites from a
animal habitats, controlling and predicting tick or an insect, for example such
diseases is a priority. as a flea or mosquito (Zika).
MAKING THE LEAP
Health experts and scientists worry that the next
global pandemic could be caused by a new or
re-emerging zoonosis.
Zoonoses are often transferred from animal to human by
a change in the genetic structure of the virus, for example
both SARS and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS)
coronaviruses are thought to have been caused by a
genetic mutation that enabled them to jump species.
Changes in environment, climate and geography can
also play a part – deforestation destroys areas leading
to once remote habitats being invaded by humans who
are then more likely to be exposed to new infections.
However, it is often unclear why some diseases mutate
into deadly viruses and each new threat poses further
challenges for science and public health.
CONTROLLING ZOONOSES
It takes time and money to develop vaccines to control
new diseases therefore resources are targeted at those
diseases that have the potential to spread rapidly causing
severe infections. Affected countries also work together to
scan for new outbreaks, track the spread and use this data
to map zoonotic diseases and inform control strategies.
In 2018 the World Health Organization
(WHO) released a list of priority diseases
based on their potential to become pandemic
and the lack of robust control measures. All
ten diseases on the list are caused by viral
zoonoses. These include viruses like Crimean-
Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF), Ebola,
Nipah, Rift Valley fever, Zika and Disease X.
PIRBRIGHT’S RESEARCH
Our scientists study a range of viral zoonoses:
• C
 rimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) infects
both wild and domestic animals, such as cattle, sheep
and goats, and humans. Infection is caused by a bite
from an infected tick (Hyalomma) or being exposed
to the blood or fluids of infected animals or humans.
10-40% of people who develop haemorrhagic fever
after infection are likely to die from the disease.
• R
 ift Valley fever (RFV) affects sheep, cattle and goats.
It is transmitted by mosquitoes but it can also be spread
through direct contact with infected animals and meat.
In severe cases, the human fatality rate may be 10-20%.
• A
 vian influenza viruses (bird flu) have a natural
reservoir in wild birds such as ducks. The H5N1 and
H7N9 strains can cause severe disease and have a
high mortality rate in people.
• S
 wine influenza viruses infect a wide range of
animals, but are most commonly present in pigs.
In 2009 the H1N1 strain caused a global outbreak
in humans killing over 18,000 people.
• N
 ipah virus has a mortality rate of up to 40% in
people. Fruit bats are the natural reservoir but it
also infects pigs, which are more likely to spread
the disease to humans. Transmission of Nipah virus
between humans, pigs and bats is through direct
contact with excretions like bat urine.
• C
 hikungunya virus is mosquito borne and found in
monkeys, birds, cattle, and rodents but it also infects
people. Symptoms include a short fever followed by
severe joint pains that can persist for years.